First dates can correspond to butterflies in your stomach as you monitor every move your date makes to gauge what kind of impression you are making. Observing signs that your date is going well can put you at ease and allow you and your date to breathe a little easier. If you are having a good time, display similar signs that help your date relax too.

Comfortable

When the date begins, it’s natural to feel a little on edge and uncertain. The purpose of a first date is to decide if you like this person enough to go on a second date, and to do that you need additional information. As the evening progresses, you should become more comfortable if you and your date are hitting it off. That positive anticipation you came in with should become more positive as you find commonalities and reasons to like one another.

Body Language

Body language is a great way to gauge your date’s response to you. Look for signs that she is flirting with you, such as laughing at your jokes and leaning forward to catch what you’re saying. Her attention is focused on you and not on the activity around you. She might touch her face or hair, or touch you. Flirting is often a sign that your date is attracted to you, according to evolutionary psychologist Steven W. Gangestad, Ph.D., in a "Psychology Today" article entitled “Flirting Fascination.”

Conversation

Your conversation can provide clues that your first date is a hit, writes Amy Spencer for a Chemistry.com article entitled “Is Your Date Into You?” You display curiosity about each other, asking questions that are more than superficial, such as “Who is your favorite author and why?” or “How did you decide which career to pursue?” In-depth questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer elicit more valuable information about your date. Your date makes personal compliments, such as “you’re pretty” or “I love the way you laugh,” notes Spencer.

Wrap-Up

It’s hard to end great first dates because you are having such fun together, notes eHarmony staff in “5 Telltale Signs of Great First Dates.” The evening seems to fly by and you’re shocked when you notice the time. You notice comments that indicate a second date is a real possibility, such as “next time we try this…” or “”I think we’ll have to …” The conversation reflects anticipation for the future. You exchange numbers so you can text him later or so he can let you know about an event he thinks you’ll enjoy. After you separate, you get a text that tells you what an awesome time your date had or an invitation for coffee later. Good first dates end with the promise of a second date and excitement as you anticipate what the future might hold.

References

About the Author

Rev. Kathryn Rateliff Barr has taught birth, parenting, vaccinations and alternative medicine classes since 1994. She is a pastoral family counselor and has parented birth, step, adopted and foster children. She holds bachelor's degrees in English and history from Centenary College of Louisiana. Studies include midwifery, naturopathy and other alternative therapies.